Photo taken on May 15, 2013 shows electric taxis manufactured by BYD Auto in Hong Kong, south China. If you came to Beijing, capital of China, 40 years ago, you were probably struck by the "sea of bicycles" on streets, a unique phenomenon earning China the title "kingdom of bicycles". At that time, ordinary Chinese could not afford cars and few people could travel by air, let alone frequent long-distance travelling. Trains, the most commonly means of transportation then, were always jam-packed in the stuffy compartments. However, the wheels of change had started to move in China. In the winter of 1978, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping initiated the historic reform and opening-up policy, which would pave the way for a stunning development of the world's most populous country. During the initial stages of reform and opening-up, many Chinese had enough food and clothes, but traveling or buying private cars was still considered a luxury. As time went by, more people were able to afford private cars and gradually tourism has become such an inseparable part of Chinese people's lives. With a variety of ways of transport available, Chinese people are obviously the luckiest in terms of travelling. China is one of the busiest air-travelling countries and it has enviable high-speed railway networks. By the end of 2017, the high-speed railway in the country totaled 25,000 km, making up 66.3 percent of the world's total. Urban public transport, including buses, subways and taxies, are meanwhile providing more comfortable services. Backed by e-commerce innovation, bicycle remains in vogue as part of China's sharing economy even today, after traffic jams and automobile pollution in big cities spurred a green lifestyle. The eco-friendly buses and cars are becoming trendy. The change of wheels in China over the past dozens of years is actually a mirror of change of lives of Chinese people. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
